Mallabhum
Mallabhum | |||||
মল্লভূম | |||||
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Capital | Laugram Pradyumnapur Bishnupur | ||||
Languages | Sanskrit Bengali | ||||
Religion | Hinduism | ||||
Government | Monarchy | ||||
Maharaja | |||||
• | 694–710 CE. | Adi Malla | |||
• | 1930–1983 CE. | Kalipada Singha Thakur | |||
Historical era | Classical India | ||||
• | Established | 694 CE | |||
• | Disestablished | 29th December 1983 CE | |||
Mallabhum (Bengali: মল্লভূম) was the kingdom ruled by the Malla kings of Bishnupur, primarily in the present Bankura district in India's state of West Bengal.
History
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Territory of the Mallabhum
It is told that Mallabhum is the territory, which included Bankura, a part of Burdwan, Birbhum, Santhal Parganas, Midnapur and also a part of Purulia. The Malla Rajas ruled over the vast territory in the south-western part of present West Bengal and a part of southeastern Jharkhand.[1]
Extent
The area around Bishnupur was called Mallabhum. The core area would cover present day Bankura police station area (excluding Chhatna), Onda, Bishnupur, Kotulpur and Indas. In olden days the term was used for a much larger area, which probably was the furthest extent of the Bishnupur kingdom. In the north it stretched from Damin-i-koh in Santhal Parganas to Midnapore in the south. It included the eastern part of Bardhaman and included parts of Chota Nagpur in the west.[2]
According to O'Malley, the Rajas of Bishnupur were also known as Malla kings. Malla is a Sanskrit word meaning wrestler but there could be some links with the Mal tribes of the area, who had intimate connection with the Bagdis.[2]
From around 7th century AD till around the advent of British rule, for around a millennium, history of Bankura district is identical with the rise and fall of the Hindu Rajas of Bishnupur.[2] The legends of Bipodtarini Devi are associated with Malla Kings of Bishnupur.[3]
Administration
Taxation Of Mallabhum
According to Bhattacharjee, Tarun Dev (1982) during Malla period, the society was centered round the village. The tax collectors were called as Gomostha and their assistants as Aat Pahari or Paik The Mukhiya or Mandal was the title of headman, who was regarded as the guardian of the village. Malla kings had several service groups. Due to scarcity of money, the Malla kings used to present land instead of salary to all these service groups. This type of land is again of two types — namely the Panchaki jamin or land with a little tax and another one is the Bepanchaki jamin or land without any tax. Again the lands were named as per the service groups name as Senapati mahal for the head of the soldier, land given to the sentry was Mahalbera Mahal, and land given to the bodyguard was Chharidar Mahal.[4]
Malla calendar
Malla's started their own calendar that is Malla era (Mallabda). It is told that Malla era started from Indra Dwadasi day in the year 102 Bengali calendar of the month Bhadro (August- September).[5]
Sl.
No. |
Name of the king[6][7] | Gregorian calendar | Bengali calendar | Malla calendar | Regime
(year) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Adi (Raghunath) Malla | 694 | 102 | 1 | 16 |
2 | Jay Malla | 710 | 117 | 16 | 10 |
3 | Benu Malla | 720 | 127 | 26 | 13 |
4 | Kinu Malla | 733 | 140 | 39 | 9 |
5 | Indra Malla | 742 | 149 | 48 | 15 |
6 | Kanu (Kalu/Kalu) Malla | 757 | 164 | 63 | 7 |
7 | Dha (Jhau) Malla | 764 | 171 | 70 | 11 |
8 | Shur Malla | 775 | 182 | 81 | 20 |
9 | Kanak Malla | 795 | 202 | 101 | 12 |
10 | Kandarpa Malla | 807 | 214 | 113 | 21 |
11 | Sanatan Malla | 828 | 235 | 134 | 13 |
12 | Kharga Malla | 841 | 248 | 147 | 21 |
13 | Durjan (Durjay) Malla | 862 | 269 | 168 | 44 |
14 | Yadav Malla | 906 | 313 | 212 | 13 |
15 | Jagannath Malla | 919 | 326 | 225 | 12 |
16 | Birat Malla | 931 | 338 | 237 | 15 |
17 | Mahadev Malla | 946 | 353 | 252 | 31 |
18 | Durgadas Malla | 977 | 384 | 283 | 17 |
19 | Jagat Malla(Jagannath) | 994 | 401 | 300 | 13 |
20 | Ananta Malla | 1007 | 414 | 313 | 8 |
21 | Rup Malla | 1015 | 422 | 321 | 14 |
22 | Sundar Malla | 1029 | 436 | 335 | 24 |
23 | Kumud Malla | 1053 | 460 | 359 | 21 |
24 | Krishna Malla | 1074 | 481 | 380 | 10 |
25 | Rup II (Jhap) Malla | 1084 | 491 | 390 | 13 |
26 | Prakash Malla | 1097 | 504 | 403 | 5 |
27 | Pratap Malla | 1102 | 509 | 408 | 11 |
28 | Sindur Malla | 1113 | 520 | 419 | 16 |
29 | Sukhomoy(Shuk) Malla | 1129 | 536 | 435 | 13 |
30 | Banamali Malla | 1142 | 549 | 448 | 14 |
31 | Yadu/Jadu Malla | 1156 | 563 | 462 | 11 |
32 | Jiban Malla | 1167 | 574 | 473 | 13 |
33 | Ram(Kshetra) Malla | 1185 | 592 | 491 | 24 |
34 | Gobinda Malla | 1209 | 616 | 515 | 31 |
35 | Bhim Malla | 1240 | 647 | 546 | 23 |
36 | Katar(Khattar) Malla | 1263 | 670 | 569 | 32 |
37 | Pritwi Malla | 1295 | 702 | 601 | 24 |
38 | Tapa Malla | 1319 | 726 | 625 | 15 |
39 | Dinabandhu Malla (Dinu) | 1334 | 741 | 640 | 11 |
40 | Kinu/Kanu II Malla | 1345 | 752 | 651 | 13 |
41 | Shur Malla II | 1358 | 765 | 664 | 12 |
42 | Shiv Singh Malla | 1370 | 777 | 676 | 37 |
43 | Madan Malla | 1407 | 814 | 713 | 13 |
44 | Durjan II (Durjay) Malla | 1420 | 827 | 726 | 17 |
45 | Uday Malla | 1437 | 844 | 743 | 23 |
46 | Chandra Malla | 1460 | 867 | 766 | 41 |
47 | Bir Malla | 1501 | 908 | 807 | 53 |
48 | Dhari Malla | 1554 | 961 | 860 | 11 |
49 | Hambir Malla Dev (Bir Hambir) | 1565 | 972 | 871 | 55 |
50 | Dhari Hambir Malla Dev | 1620 | 1027 | 926 | 6 |
51 | Raghunath Singha Dev | 1626 | 1033 | 932 | 30 |
52 | Bir Singha Dev | 1656 | 1063 | 962 | 26 |
53 | Durjan Singha Dev | 1682 | 1089 | 988 | 20 |
54 | Raghunath Singha Dev ll | 1702 | 1109 | 1008 | 10 |
55 | Gopal Singha Dev | 1712 | 1119 | 1018 | 36 |
56 | Chaitanya Singha Dev | 1748 | 1155 | 1054 | 53 |
57 | Madhav Singha Dev | 1801 | 1208 | 1107 | 8 |
58 | Gopal Singha Dev ll | 1809 | 1216 | 1115 | 67 |
59 | Ramkrishna Singha Dev | 1876 | 1283 | 1182 | 9 |
Dwhaja Moni Devi | 1885 | 1292 | 1191 | 4 | |
60 | Nilmoni Singha Dev | 1889 | 1296 | 1195 | 14 |
No King | 1903 | 1310 | 1209 | 14 | |
61 | Kalipada Singha Thakur | 1930 - 1983 | 1337 - 1390 | 1236 - 1289 | 53 |
Mallabhum temples
According to Dr. Bloch, Superintendent of the Archaeological Survey of India, Eastern Circle, the twelve date temples range in chronological order as follows:[8]
Date in
Malla year |
Date C.E. | Name of temple | By Whom built |
---|---|---|---|
928 | 1622 | Malleswar | Bir Singha, son of Raghunath Singha |
949 | 1643 | Syam Rai | Raghunath Singha |
961 | 1655 | Jor Bangla | Raghunath Singha |
962 | 1656 | Kala Chand | Raghunath Singha |
964 | 1658 | Lalji | Bir Singha |
971 | 1665 | Madan Gopal | Siromani, wife of Bir Singha |
971 | 1665 | Murali Mohan | Churamoni /Siromoni Devi, wife of Bir Singha |
1000 | 1694 | Madan Mohan | Durjan Singha |
1032 | 1726 | Jor Mandir | Gopal Singha |
1035 | 1729 | Radha Gobind | Krishna Singha, son of Gopal Singha |
1043 | 1737 | Radha Madhab | Churamoni |
1064
(Saka 1680) |
1758 | Radha Syam | Chaitanya Singha |
Notable
Bishnupur is famous for its terracotta craft, Baluchari Sari and Mallabhum Sari made of Tassar silk and was for almost a thousand years the capital of the Malla kings of Mallabhum.[9][10]
Reservoir
Bir Singha Dev also had the seven big lakes or tanks, called Lalbandh, Krishnabandh, Gantatbandh, Jamunabandh, Kalindibandh, Shyambandh, and pokabandh excavated, and erected.[11]
Image gallery
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Jor Mandir (c. 1726)
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Radhamadhab Temple (c. 1737)
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Kalachand Temple (c. 1656)
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Jor-Bangla Temple or Keshta Roy Temple (c. 1655)
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Jor Mandir complex (c. 1726)
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Madan Mohan Temple (c. 1694)
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Radha-Gobinda Temple (c. 1729)
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Shyam Ray Temple (c. 1643)
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Bishnpur fort gate
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Panchchura temple
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The gate of Rashmancha
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Stone chariot of Bishnupur
References
- ↑ Dasgupta 2009, p. 12.
- 1 2 3 O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, Bankura, Bengal District Gazetteers, pp. 21-46, 1995 reprint, first published 1908, Government of West Bengal
- ↑ Östör, Ákos (9 September 2015). Play Of The Gods: Locality, Ideology, Structure, And Time In The Festivals Of A Bengali Town. Orient Blackswan. p. 43. ISBN 81-8028-013-6.
- ↑ Dasgupta 2009, p. 19-20.
- ↑ Dasgupta 2009, p. 19.
- ↑ Dasgupta 2009, p. 31-43.
- ↑ Mallik, Abhaya Pada (1921). History of Bishnupur-Raj: An Ancient Kingdom of West Bengal (the University of Michigan ed.). Calcutta. pp. 128 – 130. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ↑ "Bankura Gazetteer CHAPTER XIV" (PDF). bankura.gov.in. Government of West Bengal. p. 185. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
- ↑ Pandey, Dr.S.N. (1 September 2010). West Bengal General Knowledge Digest. Upkar Prakashan. p. 28. ISBN 9788174822826. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ↑ App, Urs. The Birth of Orientalism. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 302. ISBN 0812200055. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
- ↑ Bengal District Gazetteers Bankura, O’Malley, L.S.S., ICS, 1908, Barcode(99999990038739), Language english, pp. 21-41(26), 1995 reprint, Government of West Bengal from Digital Library of India
Sources
- Dasgupta, Gautam Kumar; Biswas, Samira,; Mallik, Rabiranjan, (2009), Heritage Tourism: An Anthropological Journey to Bishnupur, A Mittal Publication, p. 20, ISBN 8183242944
Further reading
- Steemers, Koen, Architecture, City, Environment: Proceedings of PLEA 2000 : July 2000 ..., James & James (Science Publishers) Ltd, p. 377, ISBN 1902916166